PATNA: RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav left for Delhi on Saturday evening, a day after a meeting of the party’s central and state parliamentary boards was held in Patna to discuss seat-sharing formula among INDIA bloc partners for Bihar polls.
“Tejashwi has gone to Delhi with a message from RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. He is expected to meet senior leaders of Congress, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. The leaders of two major allies will take a final call on seat-sharing arrangements in the Opposition bloc,” a senior RJD leader said.
Sources said the RJD and Congress were jostling over five seats—Baisi, Bahadurganj, Raniganj, Kahalgaon and Saharsa—which has reportedly delayed the announcement of a seat-sharing pact. The Congress had contested Kahalgaon and Bahadurpur in 2020 and RJD fought in Saharsa, Baisi and Raniganj, but both failed to win any of them. The Congress, which has given two seats from its quota to the India Inclusive Party (IIP), initially decided to hand over Saharsa to its ally. The RJD has now staked claim on the seat, sources said.
The Congress staked claim on Kahalgaon seat, mostly won by the party in previous elections. Last year, the Congress contested but the BJP won the seat. The RJD, the sources said, has sought to contest from this seat but the Congress is unwilling to part with it.
Besides, the Congress seeks to field its candidates from Baisi and Bahadurganj of Seemanchal region, citing its performance in the Muslim-dominated area in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress has now three MPs, including Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, in Kishanganj, Katihar and Purnia in Seemanchal.
In 2020 assembly polls, Asasuddin Owaisi-led AIMIM won Baisi and Bahadurpur seats. The MLAs later jumped ship to RJD. Sources said RJD is reluctant to part with Raniganj, despite losing it in 2020. Leaders from both sides are holding rounds of meetings over the seats concerned to arrive at an agreement, the sources added.
The two major allies are already facing tensions over the Opposition grouping’s choice of chief ministerial candidate. Meanwhile, the RJD has been declaring Tejashwi as the face.